Image mapping to provide visual geographic path

ABSTRACT

Provided is a computer system and method for mapping a visual path. The method includes receiving one or more images included in a predefined area; receiving one or more parameters associated with the image; and integrating the images and parameters into a map of the predefined area to enable mapping the visual path through the predefined area in response to one or more input path parameters.

If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date ofthis application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Anyapplications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120,121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of such applications, are also incorporated byreference, including any priority claims made in those applications andany material incorporated by reference, to the extent such subjectmatter is not inconsistent herewith.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and claims the benefit of theearliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listedapplication(s) (the “Priority Applications”) (e.g., claims earliestavailable priority dates for other than provisional patent applicationsor claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patentapplications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)). In addition, thepresent application is related to the “Related Applications, ” if any,listed below.

Priority Applications

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/804,708 entitled IMAGE MAPPING TO PROVIDE VISUAL GEOGRAPHIC PATH,naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A.Malamud, and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed 26 Jul. 2010,which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currentlyco-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date,and which is a continuation of U.S patent application Ser. No.12/231,314, entitled IMAGE MAPPING TO PROVIDE VISUAL GEOGRAPHIC PATH,naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A.Malamud, and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed 26 Jul. 2010, nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,764,811 on 27 Jul., 2010, and which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/066,112,entitled IMAGE MAPPING TO PROVIDE VISUAL GEOGRAPHIC PATH, naming EdwardK. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, and JohnD. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed 25 Feb. 2005, with, Now issued asU.S. Pat. No. 7,756,300 on 13 Jul., 2010,.

Related Applications

The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to theeffect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicantsboth reference a serial number and indicate whether an application is acontinuation or continuation-in-part. Stephen G. Kunin, Benefit ofPrior-Filed Application, USPTO Official Gazette Mar. 18, 2003, availableon the website of the USPTO at www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/og/2003/week11/patbene.htm. The presentApplicant Entity (hereinafter “Applicant”) has provided above a specificreference to the application(s) from which priority is being claimed asrecited by statute. Applicant understands that the statute isunambiguous in its specific reference language and does not requireeither a serial number or any characterization, such as “continuation”or “continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S. patentapplications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant understands thatthe USPTO's computer programs have certain data entry requirements, andhence Applicant is designating the present application as acontinuation-in-part of its parent applications as set forth above, butexpressly points out that such designations are not to be construed inany way as any type of commentary and/or admission as to whether or notthe present application contains any new matter in addition to thematter of its parent application(s).

If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with thelistings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claimpriority to each application that appears in the Priority Applicationssection of the ADS and to each application that appears in the PriorityApplications section of this application.

All subject matter of the Priority Applications and the RelatedApplications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Priority Applications and the RelatedApplications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein byreference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistentherewith.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to maps.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a method includes but is not limited to receiving one ormore images of a predefined area; receiving one or more parametersassociated with the one or more images; integrating the one or moreimages and the one or more parameters into a map of the predefined area;and mapping the visual path through the predefined area in response toone or more input path parameters. In addition to the foregoing, othermethod aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming apart of the present application.

In one aspect, a method for a display device to receive a mapped visualpath includes, but is not limited to transmitting a request for themapped visual path, the request including one or more input pathparameters associated with the mapped visual path; and receiving from aprocessing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path includingone or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or moreinput path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration ofthe one or more images and the one or more input path parameters.

In a further aspect, a method for mapping a visual path includes, but isnot limited to monitoring a visual path taken by a wireless user in apredefined area; receiving at a processing device one or more currentimages collected in real-time or near real-time of the predefined area;processing one or more input path parameters associated with the one ormore current images; integrating the one or more current images and theone or more input path parameters into a visual path through thepredefined area; and mapping the visual path through the predefined areain response to one or more input path parameters for transmission to adisplay device and/or for storage for later mobile use.

In another aspect, a computer program product can include computerreadable media bearing computer executable instructions including, butnot limited to one or more instructions for receiving one or more imagesof a predefined area; receiving one or more parameters associated withthe one or more images; and integrating the one or more images and theone or more parameters into a map of the predefined area; and one ormore instructions for mapping the visual path through the predefinedarea in response to one or more input path parameters.

In another aspect, a computer program product can include computerreadable media bearing computer executable instructions including, butnot limited to one or more instructions for transmitting a request forthe mapped visual path, the request including one or more input pathparameters associated with the mapped visual path; and one or moreinstructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visualpath, the mapped visual path including one or more images of apredefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, themapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images andthe one or more input path parameters.

In yet another aspect, a computer program product can include computerreadable media bearing computer executable instructions including, butnot limited to one or more instructions for monitoring a visual pathtaken by a wireless user in a predefined area; receiving at a processingdevice one or more current images collected in near real-time of thepredefined area; and processing one or more input path parametersassociated with the one or more current images. Another possible aspectmay include one or more instructions for integrating the one or morecurrent images and the one or more parameters into a map of thepredefined area; and mapping the visual path through the predefined areain response to one or more input path parameters for transmission to adisplay device and/or for storage for later mobile use.

In one or more various aspects, related systems include but are notlimited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting theherein-referenced method aspects; the circuitry and/or programming canbe virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

In one aspect, a system includes but is not limited to a processor; amemory coupled to the processor; an image module coupled to the memory,the image module including: a data store configurable to hold one ormore images of a predefined area; and an integration module configurableto integrate the images and generate a visual path through thepredefined area in response to a query. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present application.

In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or system aspectsare set forth and described in the text (e.g., claims and/or detaileddescription) and/or drawings of the present application.

The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity,simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Otheraspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/orother subject described herein will become apparent in the text setforth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the subject matter of the application can beobtained when the following detailed description of the disclosedembodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer architecture thatsupports the claimed subject matter;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless computer environment appropriatefor embodiments of the subject matter of the present application.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams illustrating possible methods inaccordance with different embodiments of the subject matter of thepresent application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Those with skill in the computing arts will recognize that the disclosedembodiments have relevance to a wide variety of applications andarchitectures in addition to those described below. In addition, thefunctionality of the subject matter of the present application can beimplemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software andhardware. The hardware portion can be implemented using specializedlogic; the software portion can be stored in a memory or recordingmedium and executed by a suitable instruction execution system such as amicroprocessor.

With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary computing system for implementingthe embodiments is shown and includes a general purpose computing devicein the form of a computer 10. Components of the computer 10 may include,but are not limited to, a processing unit 20, a system memory 30, and asystem bus 21 that couples various system components including thesystem memory to the processing unit 20. The system bus 21 may be any ofseveral types of bus structures including a memory bus or memorycontroller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety ofbus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, sucharchitectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus.

The computer 10 typically includes a variety of computer readable media.Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessedby the computer 10 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, andremovable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile andnonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any methodor technology for storage of information such as computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computerstorage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flashmemory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD)or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to store the desired information and which canbe accessed by the computer 10. Communication media typically embodiescomputer readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or othertransport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. Theterm “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of itscharacteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode informationin the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communicationmedia includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wiredconnection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and otherwireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be includedwithin the scope of computer readable media.

The system memory 30 includes computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 31 andrandom access memory (RAM) 32. A basic input/output system 33 (BIOS),containing the basic routines that help to transfer information betweenelements within computer 10, such as during start-up, is typicallystored in ROM 31. RAM 32 typically contains data and/or program modulesthat are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on byprocessing unit 20. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 1illustrates operating system 34, application programs 35, other programmodules 36 and program data 37. FIG. 1 is shown with program modules 36including a queuing module in accordance with an embodiment as describedherein.

The computer 10 may also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,FIG. 1 illustrates a hard disk drive 41 that reads from or writes tonon-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 51 thatreads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 52, andan optical disk drive 55 that reads from or writes to a removable,nonvolatile optical disk 56 such as a CD ROM or other optical media.Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storagemedia that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include,but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards,digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solidstate ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 41 is typically connectedto the system bus 21 through a non-removable memory interface such asinterface 40, and magnetic disk drive 51 and optical disk drive 55 aretypically connected to the system bus 21 by a removable memoryinterface, such as interface 50.

The drives and their associated computer storage media, discussed aboveand illustrated in FIG. 1, provide storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and other data for thecomputer 10. In FIG. 1, for example, hard disk drive 41 is illustratedas storing operating system 44, application programs 45, other programmodules 46 and program data 47. Program modules 46 is shown including animage module, which can be configured as either located in modules 36 or46, or both locations, as one with skill in the art will appreciate.Note that these components can either be the same as or different fromoperating system 34, application programs 35, other program modules 36,and program data 37. Operating system 44, application programs 45, otherprogram modules 46, and program data 47 are given different numbers hereto illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A user mayenter commands and information into the computer 10 through inputdevices such as a tablet, or electronic digitizer, 64, a microphone 63,a keyboard 62 and pointing device 61, commonly referred to as a mouse,trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include ajoystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These andother input devices are often connected to the processing unit 20through a user input interface 60 that is coupled to the system bus, butmay be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as aparallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 91or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 21via an interface, such as a video interface 90. The monitor 91 may alsobe integrated with a touch-screen panel or the like. Note that themonitor and/or touch screen panel can be physically coupled to a housingin which the computing device 10 is incorporated, such as in atablet-type personal computer. In addition, computers such as thecomputing device 10 may also include other peripheral output devicessuch as speakers 97 and printer 96, which may be connected through anoutput peripheral interface 95 or the like. A display device, forpurposes of this patent application can include an e-paper display, aliquid crystal display and the like.

The computer 10 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer80. The remote computer 80 may be a personal computer, a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andtypically includes many or all of the elements described above relativeto the computer 10, although only a memory storage device 81 has beenillustrated in FIG. 1. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 1include a local area network (LAN) 71 and a wide area network (WAN) 73,but may also include other networks. Such networking environments arecommonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets andthe Internet. For example, in the subject matter of the presentapplication, the computer system 10 may comprise the source machine fromwhich data is being migrated, and the remote computer 80 may comprisethe destination machine. Note however that source and destinationmachines need not be connected by a network or any other means, butinstead, data may be migrated via any media capable of being written bythe source platform and read by the destination platform or platforms.

When used in a LAN or WLAN networking environment, the computer 10 isconnected to the LAN through a network interface or adapter 70. Whenused in a WAN networking environment, the computer 10 typically includesa modem 72 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN73, such as the Internet. The modem 72, which may be internal orexternal, may be connected to the system bus 21 via the user inputinterface 60 or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment,program modules depicted relative to the computer 10, or portionsthereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way ofexample, and not limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates remote applicationprograms 85 as residing on memory device 81. It will be appreciated thatthe network connections shown are exemplary and other means ofestablishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

In the description that follows, the subject matter of the applicationwill be described with reference to acts and symbolic representations ofoperations that are performed by one or more computers, unless indicatedotherwise. As such, it will be understood that such acts and operations,which are at times referred to as being computer-executed, include themanipulation by the processing unit of the computer of electricalsignals representing data in a structured form. This manipulationtransforms the data or maintains it at locations in the memory system ofthe computer which reconfigures or otherwise alters the operation of thecomputer in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. Thedata structures where data is maintained are physical locations of thememory that have particular properties defined by the format of thedata. However, although the subject matter of the application is beingdescribed in the foregoing context, it is not meant to be limiting asthose of skill in the art will appreciate that some of the acts andoperation described hereinafter can also be implemented in hardware.

Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram of a wireless network appropriate forsome embodiments herein is shown. The wireless network includes a basestation 200, which can be coupled to a server 210. Base station 200interacts with a plurality of wireless components 220, which can bereceivers only, designed to receive real time images and associated dataas correlated and transmitted by server 210. Components interact withbase station 200 via wireless connection 230. The wireless connection230 could include a Global Positioning System (GPS), radio-frequency(RF) methods, or wireless local area network (WLAN). Another type ofwireless connection could be a tracking tag system. Tracking tagstypically communicate with a base station, each tag transmitting aunique code to identify an item to which it is attached. WLANs operateby connecting mobile devices to a base station and using signal strengthsensing to determine a location of a mobile device. Other wirelessconnections appropriate for embodiments include satellite connections,IEEE 802.11 connections or Bluetooth-type connections or the like as oneof skill in the art with the benefit of the present disclosure willappreciate.

Components 220 can include receivers and transmitters to interact withserver 210. Components 220 are shown including different types ofcomponents, including components 220(1) which could be a simple devicecapable of only receiving and displaying data and images. The data couldinclude written directions, a map, and images or the like. Component220(2) is shown as a personal electronic assistant, which could beconfigured to both send and/or receive data, display maps and/ordirections as generated by server 210. Component 220(3) is shown as atablet personal computer (PC) which can also be configured to both sendand/or receive data. Component 220(4) is shown as a laptop or notebookcomputer which can also send and/or receive data and/or directions.Components 220(5) could be implemented as a simple mobile device whichcould be configured to receive and display images that could be in realtime. Component 220(6) could be implemented as a cellular telephone orpager and include a display configured to show a map and images inaccordance with embodiments herein.

In an alternative embodiment, components 220 could be devices that arenot coupled to a wireless network of any kind. Rather, in theembodiment, a component 220 could be configured to receive data andstore data internally for later mobile use.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram illustrates a method inaccordance with an embodiment, in which the components wirelesslyconnected to the base station 200 and server 210 are coupled to receiveimages of an area. More particularly, the embodiment is directed tomapping a visual path. Block 310 provides for receiving one or moreimages included in a predefined area. The predefined area could be anamusement park, a city, or other area that a user of a mobile devicecould benefit from a visual path. The receiving the images could be fromconnecting to a server coupled to a mobile device such as a componentwirelessly receiving the one or more images. Alternatively, thereceiving the images could include a server receiving images from astationary device, such as a device fixedly connected in a public areafor collecting and sending images.

Block 320 provides for receiving one or more parameters associated withthe image. For example, a visual path could be provided that providesimages as needed by a mobile device user or a stationary device user.For example, a mobile device user may require a visual path to locate anitem, person or place. A stationary device user may be monitoring avisual path taken by a person. A time parameter could be associated withthe images to provide images as needed or according to user input. Inone embodiment, the time parameter provides an interval for displayingor retrieving images for the visual path. The timing could take intoaccount the speed at which a user walks and display images coordinatedwith where a user should be located.

In one embodiment, a GPS-type connection is used to locate a user anddisplay a visual path taken by the user in near real time. The displayedimages could then display an image collected in near real-time of thearea where the user is located. In an embodiment, the GPS connection andthe image of the user are periodically updated in response to input pathparameters identifying the user, providing the periodicity for updatingthe images as a time parameter, and receiving a location parameter viathe GPS connection to locate the user. Images of the user can be foundvia a public source of images of the area, such as images available overthe internet. Also, if the user has images available to transmit, imagescan be collected directly from the user.

Block 330 provides for integrating the images and parameters into a mapof the predefined area. The visual path can be through the predefinedarea in response to one or more input path parameters. The input pathparameters could include locations, and locations in a specified order.

The integrating could include processing a stitched together display ofimages taken from public cameras, private cameras, and images availablevia the internet, in real time or not in real time. Thus, the visualpath enables a user of a mobile device to visualize the path for travelpurposes.

Block 332 provides for mapping a visual path through the predefined areain response to input path parameters.

The integrating can include, as shown by block 340, receiving anidentifier associated with an object on one or more of the images. Theidentifier can be indicative of an action to be taken with respect tothe object. Block 350 provides for altering the visual path based on theidentifier. The action to be taken can include highlighting the object,removing the object or altering the object. If the object is a person,the person can be identified as related or unrelated to a class ofpersons. Thus, the altering could include deleting a class of persons ora person based on the identifier, or highlighting a class of persons,depending on the association with the identifier. For example, if aclass of people are in a predefined area, on a trip or otherwise, and ifa user of a device wants to track the people, highlighting would assistthe user.

In one embodiment, the combined images could create a scrollable imagepath including real time images of the predefined area, the scrollableimage path providing a virtual visual path through the predefined area.Such a scrollable visual path could assist a user trying to locate anaddress or location. Alternatively, the combining could include imagestitching.

In one embodiment, the method shown in FIG. 4 provides a display devicecapable of receiving a mapped visual path (block 410). Moreparticularly, the method includes, but is not limited to transmitting arequest for the mapped visual path (block 420), wherein the requestincludes one or more input path parameters associated with the mappedvisual path (block 430), and receiving from a processing device a mappedvisual path (block 440). Another aspect may include displaying a mappedvisual path including one or more images of a predefined area identifiedby the one or more input path parameters (block 450). A further aspectmay include displaying a mapped visual path that includes an integrationof the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters(block 460).

The display device can be either a mobile or fixed device configured tosequentially display the mapped visual path of the one or more imagesaccording to a time parameter (block 470). The transmitting a requestfor the mapped visual path may include transmitting one or more inputpath parameters associated with the mapped visual path such as alocation parameter (block 432), a time parameter identifying aperiodicity for the one or more images (block 434), and anidentification of a user of the display device (block 436).

Some process embodiments may include receiving from a processing devicea mapped visual path, the mapped visual path being an integration of theone or more images and the one or more input path parameters. Anotheraspect may include receiving for display the mapped visual path thatincludes an image history taken from one or more public cameras and/orone or more private cameras (block 480), wherein the mapped visual pathmay include an integration of the image history with one or more inputpath parameters.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, a computer system includesa module, shown in FIG. 1 as modules 36 and 46. The image module iscoupled to a computer system memory and processor. For purposes of thepresent application, an image module coupled to the memory can includebut is not limited to an image module with all module components withinthe memory, an image module only partially coupled to the memory andpartially coupled to other components such as to firmware, and an imagemodule including only some components coupled to the memory and othercomponents in another memory, such as RAM or ROM or a storage that canbe manipulated.

In an embodiment, the image module is configured to receive one or moreimages included in a predefined area and integrate the images andgenerate a visual path through the predefined area in response to aquery. The image module can be included with a mobile device or can beincluded as part of a server, such as server 210 that createstransmissions for the mobile device to display. If a server performs theprocessing, an embodiment includes a transmitter configured to transmitthe visual path to the mobile device. The visual path can also betransmitted to a fixed device, such as a display device.

While the subject matter of the application has been shown and describedwith reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in formand detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the subject matter of the application, including but notlimited to additional, less or modified elements and/or additional, lessor modified steps performed in the same or a different order.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; theuse of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that incertain contexts the choice between hardware and software can becomesignificant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs.Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are variousvehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologiesdescribed herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/orfirmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context inwhich the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies aredeployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed andaccuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardwareand/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, theimplementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet againalternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles bywhich the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies describedherein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to theother in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon thecontext in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns(e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any ofwhich may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that opticalaspects of implementations will typically employ optically-orientedhardware, software, and or firmware.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capableof being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, andthat an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described hereinapplies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearingmedia used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signalbearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordabletype media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digitaltape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digitaland analog communication links using TDM or IP based communication links(e.g., packet links).

The herein described aspects depict different components containedwithin, or connected with, different other components. It is to beunderstood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, andthat in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achievethe same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement ofcomponents to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated”such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any twocomponents herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can beseen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionalityis achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial componentsLikewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being“operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achievethe desired functionality, and any two components capable of being soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to eachother to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples ofoperably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateableand/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactableand/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interactingand/or logically interactable components.

While particular aspects of the present subject matter described hereinhave been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modificationsmay be made without departing from the subject matter described hereinand its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are toencompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as arewithin the true spirit and scope of this subject matter describedherein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention isdefined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those withinthe art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in theappended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generallyintended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should beinterpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” shouldbe interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should beinterpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will befurther understood by those within the art that if a specific number ofan introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will beexplicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitationno such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, thefollowing appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases“at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations.However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply thatthe introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or“an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claimrecitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even whenthe same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “atleast one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or“an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one ormore”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used tointroduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number ofan introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled inthe art will recognize that such recitation should typically beinterpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the barerecitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typicallymeans at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C”would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone,C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general sucha construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).

We claim:
 1. A method for mapping a visual path, the method comprising:receiving one or more images of a predefined area; integrating the oneor more images into a map of the predefined area, wherein theintegrating includes associating a time parameter with the one or moreimages; mapping a visual path through the map of the predefined area,wherein the mapping includes associating an input path parameter withthe map of the predefined area, wherein the input path parameterincludes location information; receiving an identifier associated withan object of at least one of the one or more images, the object beingassociated with the visual path, and wherein a location of the object isupdateable; and altering the visual path based on the identifier, andwherein at least one of the receiving one or more images, mapping avisual path, receiving an identifier, or altering the visual path is atleast partially implemented using one or more processing devices.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the identifier is indicative of an action tobe taken with respect to the object.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe action to be taken with respect to the object includes at least oneof highlighting the object, removing the object, or altering the object.4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a personwithin the one or more images based on the identifier.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: identifying a person within the one or moreimages based on the identifier; and wherein altering the visual pathbased on the identifier includes altering the person.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: identifying a person within the one or moreimages based on the identifier; and determining whether the person isrelated to a class of persons.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: identifying a person within the one or more images based onthe identifier; determining whether the person is related to a class ofpersons; and wherein altering the visual path based on the identifierincludes altering the class of persons based on the identifier.
 8. Acomputer system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to theprocessor; an image module coupled to the memory, the image moduleconfigured to receive one or more images of a predefined area; and anintegration module coupled to the memory, the integration moduleconfigured to: (a) integrate the one or more images into a map of thepredefined area, including associating a time parameter with the one ormore images; (b) map a visual path through the predefined area, whereinthe map includes an input path parameter associated with the predefinedarea, wherein the input path parameter includes location information;(c) receive an identifier associated with an object of at least one ofthe one or more images, wherein the object being associated with thevisual path, an object location being updateable; and (d) alter thevisual path based at least on the identifier.
 9. The computer system ofclaim 8, wherein the one or more images of the predefined area includeat least one of real time or near real time images of the predefinedarea.
 10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the image moduleconfigurable to receive the one or more images of the predefined areaincludes: an image module configured to receive the one or more imagesof the predefined area from at least one of a public camera, a privatecamera, a global communication system, via the Internet, or acombination thereof.
 11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein theimage module configured to receive the one or more images of thepredefined area includes: an image module configurable to receive theone or more images of the predefined area from a mobile device of a userlocated within the predefined area.
 12. The computer system of claim 8,wherein the integration module configured to integrate the one or moreimages into a map of the predefined area includes: an integration moduleconfigured to combine the one or more images to create a scrollableimage path.
 13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the scrollableimage path includes a virtual visual path through the predefined area.14. A computer program product comprising: one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media bearing instructions that, when executed by oneor more processing components, perform a process including: (a)receiving one or more images of a predefined area; (b) integrating theone or more images into a map of the predefined area, wherein theintegrating includes associating a time parameter with the one or moreimages; (c) mapping a visual path through the map of the predefinedarea, wherein the mapping includes associating an input path parameterwith the map of the predefined area, wherein the input path parameterincludes location information; (d) receiving an identifier associatedwith an object of at least one of the one or more images, the objectbeing associated with the visual path, and wherein a location of theobject is updateable; and (e) altering the visual path based on theidentifier.
 15. The computer program product of claim 14, furthercomprising: one or more instructions for periodically updating the oneor more images.
 16. The computer program product of claim 15, whereinthe one or more instructions for periodically updating the one or moreimages comprises: one or more instructions for updating the one or moreimages in response to receiving one or more input path parameters. 17.The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or moreinstructions for periodically updating the one or more images comprises:one or more instructions for receiving a location parameter via a GPSconnection indicating a location of a user of a mobile device.
 18. Thecomputer program product of claim 14, further comprising: one or moreinstructions for receiving a time parameter for retrieving the one ormore images.
 19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein thetime parameter takes into account a speed at which a user of a mobiledevice is moving through the predefined area.
 20. The computer programproduct of claim 19, further comprising: one or more instructions fordisplaying one or more images of the predefined area coordinated with alocation where the user of the mobile device should be located based onthe time parameter.
 21. The computer program product of claim 14,further comprising: one or more instructions for aperiodically updatingthe one or more images.